Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the value of loot box grey markets where players can trade items between accounts.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government undertook a call for evidence from September to November 2020 to examine concerns around loot boxes in video games. We are continuing to evaluate the evidence from more than 30,000 responses that we received, along with an independent Rapid Evidence Assessment commissioned from the InGAME research and innovation centre. Additionally, we have continued a dialogue with the games industry to address issues identified from the evidence.
We will publish the response to the call for evidence in the coming months. As part of this, we will set out findings from the call for evidence and outline next steps to take action where needed.
The Gambling Act Review is ongoing and we will publish our conclusions through a White Paper in the coming months.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the total value of microtransactions from loot boxes in video games in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government undertook a call for evidence from September to November 2020 to examine concerns around loot boxes in video games. We are continuing to evaluate the evidence from more than 30,000 responses that we received, along with an independent Rapid Evidence Assessment commissioned from the InGAME research and innovation centre. Additionally, we have continued a dialogue with the games industry to address issues identified from the evidence.
We will publish the response to the call for evidence in the coming months. As part of this, we will set out findings from the call for evidence and outline next steps to take action where needed.
The Gambling Act Review is ongoing and we will publish our conclusions through a White Paper in the coming months.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to (a) assess whether loot boxes are harmful to children and (b) gather further data in this area.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government undertook a call for evidence from September to November 2020 to examine concerns around loot boxes in video games. We are continuing to evaluate the evidence from more than 30,000 responses that we received, along with an independent Rapid Evidence Assessment commissioned from the InGAME research and innovation centre. Additionally, we have continued a dialogue with the games industry to address issues identified from the evidence.
We will publish the response to the call for evidence in the coming months. As part of this, we will set out findings from the call for evidence and outline next steps to take action where needed.
The Gambling Act Review is ongoing and we will publish our conclusions through a White Paper in the coming months.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will classify loot boxes as a form of gambling in the upcoming review of the Gambling Act 2005.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government undertook a call for evidence from September to November 2020 to examine concerns around loot boxes in video games. We are continuing to evaluate the evidence from more than 30,000 responses that we received, along with an independent Rapid Evidence Assessment commissioned from the InGAME research and innovation centre. Additionally, we have continued a dialogue with the games industry to address issues identified from the evidence.
We will publish the response to the call for evidence in the coming months. As part of this, we will set out findings from the call for evidence and outline next steps to take action where needed.
The Gambling Act Review is ongoing and we will publish our conclusions through a White Paper in the coming months.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish the response to its 2020 consultation on loot boxes in video games.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government undertook a call for evidence from September to November 2020 to examine concerns around loot boxes in video games. We are continuing to evaluate the evidence from more than 30,000 responses that we received, along with an independent Rapid Evidence Assessment commissioned from the InGAME research and innovation centre. Additionally, we have continued a dialogue with the games industry to address issues identified from the evidence.
We will publish the response to the call for evidence in the coming months. As part of this, we will set out findings from the call for evidence and outline next steps to take action where needed.
The Gambling Act Review is ongoing and we will publish our conclusions through a White Paper in the coming months.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has a timetable for announcing the regulation of loot boxes; and whether that regulation will required primary legislation.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We ran a call for evidence from September to November 2020 to examine concerns around loot boxes in video games. The government is continuing to evaluate the evidence received from over 30,000 responses to the call for evidence, along with an independent Rapid Evidence Assessment commissioned from the InGAME research and innovation centre. Additionally, we have continued a dialogue with the games industry to develop effective and proportionate solutions in response to issues identified from the evidence. The government response outlining planned next steps is due to be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord McNicol of West Kilbride (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the results of their call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, which closed on 22 November 2020.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We want to ensure that all players can enjoy games safely. This is a responsibility that the Government shares jointly with the games industry.
We received over 30,000 responses to our loot box call for evidence, and continue to engage with industry to discuss issues identified from the call for evidence. We will publish our response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in the coming months.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made on the potential effect of Esports Betting on gambling-related harm.
Answered by John Whittingdale
We continue to work with the video games industry, other government departments, and relevant regulatory bodies to ensure games are enjoyed safely. We launched a call for evidence in September to understand players’ experiences with loot boxes and to examine evidence of potential harms. This received over 30,000 responses and we have been working to evaluate fully the evidence gathered. The response will be published in the coming months and will set out preferred actions and potential solutions to any issues identified from the evidence.
The government regularly engages with the Gambling Commission and other bodies to discuss emerging trends, including esports betting. Esports betting is regulated with the same protections as any other sports, and operators must abide by the same regulation and license conditions.
Data from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly surveys shows that in the year to December 2020 9% of adults reported they had ever bet on esports with money or items. Further details can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/taking-a-more-in-depth-look-at-online-gambling#ref-4 The government does not collect statistics on the player base of people opening loot boxes, playing social casino games or accessing twitch gaming streams.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Gambling Commission, and (b) gaming operators on the development of Esports Betting.
Answered by John Whittingdale
We continue to work with the video games industry, other government departments, and relevant regulatory bodies to ensure games are enjoyed safely. We launched a call for evidence in September to understand players’ experiences with loot boxes and to examine evidence of potential harms. This received over 30,000 responses and we have been working to evaluate fully the evidence gathered. The response will be published in the coming months and will set out preferred actions and potential solutions to any issues identified from the evidence.
The government regularly engages with the Gambling Commission and other bodies to discuss emerging trends, including esports betting. Esports betting is regulated with the same protections as any other sports, and operators must abide by the same regulation and license conditions.
Data from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly surveys shows that in the year to December 2020 9% of adults reported they had ever bet on esports with money or items. Further details can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/taking-a-more-in-depth-look-at-online-gambling#ref-4 The government does not collect statistics on the player base of people opening loot boxes, playing social casino games or accessing twitch gaming streams.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what data and research he has on the player base of people playing (a) loot boxes, (b) social casinos, (c) twitch gaming and (d) e-sports betting.
Answered by John Whittingdale
We continue to work with the video games industry, other government departments, and relevant regulatory bodies to ensure games are enjoyed safely. We launched a call for evidence in September to understand players’ experiences with loot boxes and to examine evidence of potential harms. This received over 30,000 responses and we have been working to evaluate fully the evidence gathered. The response will be published in the coming months and will set out preferred actions and potential solutions to any issues identified from the evidence.
The government regularly engages with the Gambling Commission and other bodies to discuss emerging trends, including esports betting. Esports betting is regulated with the same protections as any other sports, and operators must abide by the same regulation and license conditions.
Data from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly surveys shows that in the year to December 2020 9% of adults reported they had ever bet on esports with money or items. Further details can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/taking-a-more-in-depth-look-at-online-gambling#ref-4 The government does not collect statistics on the player base of people opening loot boxes, playing social casino games or accessing twitch gaming streams.